Hot Quinoa Cereal with Pear & Fig
No matter how I tried, I could not think of a shorter name for this breakfast that would do it justice. It's not especially colorful, but oh my goodness is it good! The quinoa starts it off with great nutrition. Add in seasonal fruit with the pears and figs - also packed with all sorts of good-for-you stuff. And throw in some pecans for crunch and even more nutritional value. What more could you want.... well if you have a sweet-tooth like me, some honey. And this dish has it all!

Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or olive oil
1 firm pear, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup dried figs, chopped
2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
dash of salt
4 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup pecans, chopped (optional)
Directions
In a large saucepan over medium heat, add butter/oil. When hot, stir in figs.
After a few minutes, stir in sweetener, molasses, salt and pecans if using. Add cooked quinoa. Toss together gently and heat through. Turn heat down to low. Add in pear, stir and heat for another minute or two.
Dish up and enjoy!
Notes: To save precious morning time, quinoa can be cooked ahead. We like to cook extra with dinner the night before and use the leftover for breakfast.